NYS Music 20​14

Author: Steve Malinski

  • An Intimate Evening with Art Garfunkel: More Spring/Summer Dates With Appearances in NY and MA

    Art Garfunkel, legendary folk singer known for his part in Simon and Garfunkel, has recently returned to the stage with a select number of acoustic performances across NY.

    Starting his tour Garfunkelthis past December Garfunkel has just announced more performance dates for late spring and early summer, with three of those stops in downstate NY and the not-too distant reaches of the Capital District. Garfunkel recently performed several shows in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut between the months of March and April.

    Be a part of “An intimate Evening with Art Garfunkel,” an acoustic performance with songs, anecdotes and prose at these nearby tour stops:

    Tour Dates:

    June 13: White Plains Performing Arts Center, White Plains, NY (Tickets now on sale here)

    June 14: Paramount Hudson Valley, Peekskill, NY (Tickets are on pre-sale until April 20, open to the public afterward here)

    June 20: Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA (Ticket sale date not yet announced)

    For a full listing of Art Garfunkel’s performances, visit his website here.

  • Robert Cray Lays Down The Blues at the Paramount Hudson Valley

    The Paramount Hudson Valley is no stranger to the blues, having hosted one of a handful of NY Blues Hall of Fame induction ceremonies this past fall featuring performances from Commander Cody and Professor Louis and the Crowmatix, among others. The theater itself was even inducted as a great performing arts center in the Blues Hall of Fame. The Paramount lived up to that recognition with an excellent double bill of blues headlined by Robert Cray on March 30th.

    robert cray bluesThe night started off with an opening set by local NY blues artist Nik Rael. Rael, on acoustic guitar, was joined by Joe Plum on electric guitar for an instrumentation that created a well-balanced sound for the blend of blues, soul, rock, and pop that was to follow. As a duo, many of the songs were not too complex but performed with a lot of expression and dynamic, from Rael’s voice to his guitar which carried the set to Plum’s electric riffs and lines that iced the cake. His set included a mix of his original work as well as some covers. One notable cover was of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” where Rael put on an accent to emulate Marley’s voice. Just as Charlie Daniels did with two songs at his show the night before at the Paramount, Rael performed three Dylan tunes that he has on his tribute album Highway 61. Most notable was “All Along The Watchtower,” combining elements of both Dylan’s and Hendrix’s arrangements. Rael’s opening set went beyond the expectations for a warm-up act with an impressive and engaging performance.

    After Rael’s opening set, the silhouettes of Robert Cray and his band took to a dimmed stage with much applause. Cray dialed in to the excitement of the crowd to get things going with a solid performance of “Phone Booth.” By the third song, “Right Next Door,” we saw the first of Cray’s rather dynamic, expressive and animated performances of the night, pretending to sing along with his guitar solos and bringing part of his second solo on the song down whisper quiet as fans listened intently.

    Unlike some artists that almost seem to make an effort to install a glass wall between themselves and the audience, there was no such barrier that night giving an almost living room like feel at the Paramount. Yes, the cozy quarters of the Paramount with its chest-high stage helped in that regard, but it was really the connection Cray built with the audience that did it. His quick wit led to jokes between songs about the subject of the song – some he would carry on to the next break – and brief exchanges with the audience.

    robert cray bluesCray gave a sneak peek, or rather gave us a sneak listen, of several new tracks off his latest album, In My Soul, released on April 1, just two days after the show. He debuted “You Move Me,” “Fine Yesterday,” “What Would You Say,” “Hip Tight Onions,” and a Bobby Blue Bland tune, “Deep In My Soul.” An example of Cray’s humor came when he joked about the new material. “You’ll never know we forgot the songs!” he said citing that no one in the audience would know how the songs were supposed to go. A highlight of the new songs was the band’s first instrumental track, “Hip Tight Onions,” written as a nod to the stylings of Booker T and the MG’s with Cray and bassist Richard Cousins dancing in sync and a more dominant keyboard presence over the other songs.

    Throughout the show, it wasn’t hard to miss the chemistry of the band on stage. Whether it was Richard Cousins sharing a moment with drummer Les Falconer (a 2013 addition to the band) as they laid down the groove for a song or Cray connecting ideas with keyboardist Dover Weinberg, the cohesion on stage radiated into the audience.

    The combination of Nik Rael and Robert Cray created an unforgettable evening of blues, setting a tone for a theater rebuilding a strong reputation for its musical presence after briefly closing its doors in 2012. It was a truly genuine performance and experience, leaving the crowd eager to hear more from Robert Cray on his next NY appearance, which he will hopefully make on his next tour.

    Setlist: Phone Booth, Poor Johnny, Right Next Door, It Doesn’t Show, You Move Me, Won’t Be Comin’ Home, Don’t You Even Care, Fine Yesterday, Chicken In The Kitchen, Bad Influence, What Would You Say, Hip Tight Onions, Forecast Calls For Rain

    Encore: A Memo (Nothin’ But Love), Deep In My Soul

  • Oversteppin’ Home: Mike Gordon Brings Tour to Tarrytown To Start Final Weekend of Tour

    Mike Gordon kicked off the final weekend of his tour this past weekend, which has been getting some buzz in the Phish community, with a show at the historic Tarrytown Music Hall. Along with bandmates Scott Murawski, Craig Myers, Tom Cleary and Todd Isler, Gordon has been touring in support of his latest studio album Overstep, performing it extensively on this tour with all but three tracks performed at the Music Hall. With the absence of a parking lot and decent weather to hang outside in before the show, a slight delay in the start (possibly due to some last-minute rehearsals with a special guest) seemed to be welcomed by the crowd who quickly settled down and enjoyed conversations with each other in the theater.

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    Eager for the show to start, the audience cheered as the stage was dimmed to a purple and the band made their way out with Gordon’s glowing scarf hard to miss. The first set kicked off with the first track off Overstep, “Ether,” an extended noise/sound effect intro recreated live by Gordon playing around with a speed drill near his bass’ pickup. “Yarmouth Road,” one of the two songs on the album with a reggae feel, was played in its studio fashion with the crowd digging the added 90’s ska interlude toward the end. “Yarmouth Road,” by the way, was first debuted with Phish at SPAC July 5, 2013.

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    There were some hushed mutterings before the show that Trey was backstage and would be sitting in for some portion of the show. This wouldn’t have seemed too far-fetched either as Trey resides somewhat locally in nearby Manhattan. It was obvious though that this was to the crowd at large a big surprise as the theater erupted when Trey was introduced and took his spot between Scott Murawski and Gordon. Murawski started off the Talking Heads tune “Cities” with Trey joining in quite forcefully after resolving a guitar glitch. This one got jammy with Trey and Scott trading solos in a call-and-response and dueling fashion. Trey stuck around to take the lead in the jam section of one of Gordon’s new tracks, “Tiny Little World,” to close out the first set. While some people were chatting during the intermission about what Phish song they’d like to hear if Trey were to come back out in the second set, they would soon find out they would have to wait until July to hear live Phish from the source.

    Not only was the music a focal point of the show, but both sets also flaunted a high-tech display of lights and projections that took advantage of the smaller stage setup, different that what would be practical at a large-venue Phish concert. Gordon and Murawski both sported custom-made guitars that would light up with LEDs at times during the show while the stage was dark giving a vague effect that they were being played by ghosts or while cast in front of psychedelic patterns. Gordon also debuted a crowd interactive instrument, the “EEL” as he called it. A MIDI controller that spanned the width of the stage, this strip resembled an oversized keyboard that the lucky front row could tap on when Gordon’s band triggered it on. Its sound sets (i.e., piano or Hammond Keys) were controlled by the band’s audio engineer and changed periodically while the audience was tapping away. One of the times the EEL was active was during “Peel” in the first set and again at the open of the second set – we have a short video excerpt of this in “Peel” later on. Gordon also incorporates something else a little different for a jam band type show: MIDI triggers on his and Murawski’s mic stands which allowed them to play a sound or an effect tapping it with their hand. All of this combined added an interesting twist to the experience of the show.

    Gordon’s stop in Tarrytown, and his whole tour for that matter, was a pleasant bridge in the gap between Phish’s NYE show and the start of their summer tour, July 1 at the Xfinity Center and their three night run at SPAC July 3-5. It gave fans a chance to see another side of Phish: one free of large crowds, potentially questionable weather, and ultimately the creativity of Gordon separate from his role in his native band.

    Set I: Ether; Cruel World, Yarmouth Road, Different World, Pretty Boy Floyd, Spock’s Brain, Face; Peel, Cities^, Tiny Little World^
    Set II: Long Black Line, Crumblin’ Bones, Barton Hollow, Angatta, Spiral, Jumping, Traveled Too Far; She Said She Said>Tomorrow Never Knows>Are You a Hypnotist?>Tomorrow Never Knows>She Said She Said>Traveled Too Far, Say Something
    Encore: Soulfood Man>Alphabet Street

    ^with Trey Anastasio

    Download the show here

  • The Devil Went Down To Peekskill: Charlie Daniels Band Live at the Paramount Hudson Valley

    It was a cool and rainy evening on March 29 in Peekskill with the last remnants of snow banks melting away making for a perfect virtual escape from the Northeast with the southern rock and country stylings of The Charlie Daniels Band.

    The night started with an acoustic set from Nashville country singer-songwriter Jacob Powell, who is making a handful of stops with the Charlie Daniels Band during his current tour. While his self-titled debut EP features a full band, he was joined on stage with fellow Nashville guitarist Jason Brooks to create a nice, full live acoustic sound. Singing some songs about summer, good times and koozies, Powell eased the crowd’s minds out of the cold northeast weather and warmed folks up for the Charlie Daniels Band.

    After a brief set change, the Charlie Daniels Band took the stage, wasting no time in setting the energetic tone for the evening. The band’s slightly short but appropriate length set of 75 minutes featured a number of CDB favorites. “Birmingham Blues” radiated vibes akin to an Allman Brothers Band performance both in song style and in the chemistry on stage. A rather interesting display came to us during a longer instrumental jam, “Black Ice.” Featuring some funky beats and riffs, elements of country and rock and roll and a spotlight on each band member, this fused a conglomeration of sounds and ideas and was a treat for every member of the audience. The set also included “The South’s Gonna Do It,” popular fan request “Long Haired Country Boy” – a tune that turns 40 this year – and of course “The Devil Went Down To Georgia.”

    This best-known hit for the Charlie Daniels Band closed the evening with flawless fiddle lines and a few extended segments over the studio version. It’s one thing to get a guitar pick from a band, but one lucky fan in the front row was given by Daniels himself the frayed horse hair fiddle bow in the middle of the song. Another crowd-pleaser came with a raucous cover of “Folsom Prison Blues” with fans having a grand time clapping and cheering along with the Johnny Cash classic.

    Throughout the evening, Daniels presented some songs off his latest album, Off the Grid – Doin’ It Dylan. Prior to performing “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” about mid-show, Daniels paused from the music for a moment to explain his connection with Bob Dylan which goes back to the late 1960’s when he recorded with Dylan on Self Portrait and New Morning. Aside from that song, Daniels also gave his nod to Dylan with “Tangled Up In Blue” early on in the set with a refreshing up-tempo and fuller arrangement of the tune. Off the Grid – Doin’ It Dylan was released this past Tuesday, April 1st.

    One unique element of the show was when Daniels, who holds his band mates in high regard, stepped to the back of the stage to put the limelight on the talent of two of his band members. Lead guitarist Bruce Brown, a 24 year veteran of the band, stepped forward and performed one of his solo works with the rest of the band; guitarist Chris Wormer did the same with his rockin’ version of the “William Tell Overture” on his double neck guitar.

    At age 77, Daniels can still perform a powerful show. His frequent quick wit and humor exchanged with band members and the audience between songs, along with a few anecdotes, kept every party at the Paramount engaged with one another. For those who missed the show in Peekskill, the Charlie Daniels Band will be back in Upstate NY at the Times Union Center in Albany May 31 with the Marshall Tucker Band and Bret Michaels (of Poison) and at the Main Street Armory in Rochester on June 1.

  • Back-to-Back Evenings with the Charlie Daniels Band and Robert Cray March 29 and 30 at the Paramount Hudson Valley

    Two great back-to-back evenings of music are set this weekend at the historic Paramount Hudson Valley in Peekskill, NY as the Charlie Daniels Band takes the stage on March 29 at 8pm and Robert Cray on March 30 at 7pm.

    charlie daniels robert crayAt 77 years old, Charlie Daniels is a true road warrior. He is presently touring with over 60 scheduled stops throughout the United States until the end of the year, including two more stops in NY on May 31 and June 1 in Albany and Rochester. Daniel’s genre defining Southern rock anthems and his award winning country hits have left an in indelible mark on America’s musical landscape and is sure to make a mark on the Paramount this Saturday. The Charlie Daniels Band is set to release Off The Grid – Doin’ It Dylan, a studio album featuring covers of 10 Bob Dylan songs, shortly after this show on April 1.

    charlie daniels robert crayFive-time Grammy Award winner Robert Cray will be joined by his band for an evening of blues. Cray is set to release his 21st studio album, In My Soul, on April 1, just two days after his appearance at the Paramount. With his performance near the release date, one could speculate that he may debut a few songs from In My Soul. There’s no April Fool’s about this weekend’s shows at the Paramount Hudson Valley.

    Check out a sneak preview of Robert Cray’s new album here:

  • Hearing Aide: Mikaela Davis ‘Fortune Teller’

    Pretty strings with an indie dig – that would be the formula followed by Mikaela Davis on her second album, Fortune Teller, released in January. The classically trained harpist carries along an impressive record of talent which she uses to craft the six track album. How impressive? Davis studied harp with the principal harpist for her hometown Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, has performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and has won awards for her performances. She is now studying Harp Performance at the renowned Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. Joining Mikaela on the album are Alex Coté on drums and percussion and Cian McCarthy on guitar, sitar, and keys.

    Mikaela Davis Fortune TellerThe performance on the album isn’t purely singer-songwriter or indie lo-fi. Davis starts with a simple one guitar, bass, and drum lo-fi core but refines it to a much cleaner soothing sound. Where one would typically hear a droney guitar line we hear the that graceful harp sound which complements the rival indie sound trying to make its way to the forefront. The album combines elements of classical, ambience, noise, and energy orchestrated into a well-rounded eclectic composition. Davis’ placid, melodic voice bundles this all up like a cozy knit scarf and presents it to you in Fortune Teller.

    Mikaela Davis Fortune Teller“I Wouldn’t,” a song with love as its theme, leads the album in with a simple singer-songwriter feel while building anticipation for the more eclectic sounds throughout the rest of the album. In “Lady Lavender” we hear the highlight of how Davis’ harp compliments McCarthy’s guitar along with a bridge introducing a synth line that goes beyond lo-fi to blend musically into the song. “Interlude In The Sky” seems to build of the solo harp outro of the previous “Lady Lavender.” This one is a beautiful instrumental track incorporating woodwind sounds which would serve well as the soundtrack to stargazing on a warm spring night or walking down a trail on a crisp, colorful fall afternoon. “When The White Horse Takes Me Away” takes us away on an atmospheric journey with an ambient harp and vocal mix before picking up in energy in the later part of the song. “Feels Like Forever” features more of the vocals carrying the melody with a stringer prominence of the classical-indie rivalry. Lastly, the title track “Fortune Teller” rounds out the album with a similar style heard in “I Wouldn’t,” though the sounds of Davis’ harp are more at the front of this track.

    Mikaela Davis will be performing tonight, March 27th at Red Square in Albany and again in her hometown of Rochester at Bug Jar on March 29th.

    Key Tracks: Interlude In The Sky, When The White Horse Takes Me Away, Fortune Teller

    Fortune Teller is available for purchase as a CD or download at Mikaela Davis’ Bandcamp page.

  • The McLovins Shine ‘Beautiful Lights’ on Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre

    The marquee at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester may not have been lit but the lights were shining on stage at Garcia’s as Hartford-based improv/rock quartet The McLovins hosted a CD release party for their newest (and fourth) album, Beautiful Lights.

    The somewhat mild weather didn’t bring out a large crowd on that Thursday evening, which worked to create a more intimate feel to the show. Despite this, the band didn’t fall back on treating it as a rehearsal and brought a decent amount of energy to their performance, especially during their second set.

    mclovins The first set kicked off with the 2010 single “Cohesive,” a collaboration The McLovins wrote and recorded with Tom Marshall (Phish lyricist) and Ant Krizan (of Spin Doctors fame). After getting the room warmed up the band gained more momentum and gave the crowd a good taste of their new album, which made up a significant portion of this set. Unlike McLovins shows of the past the first half of the show was less jam-and-shred heavy and focused more on the straight ahead performance of the new material close to how it was recorded – an intentional move by the band to explore new creative areas. A highlight of this was the title track (an instrumental piece) off the album that features a few simple, yet beautiful ideas that could serve as a conduit for a much longer live performance as the band grows with it.

    mclovinsAfter a set break with time to gaze at the numerous photos of Jerry Garcia cladding the walls of the venue, The McLovins started with more energy reflected both on stage and in the crowd. Early on in the set a little sampling of head candy was dished out with a tease of the Grateful Dead’s “St. Stephen.” About mid-set the band broke out one of their staple earlier tracks, “Tokyo Tea,” which guitarist Justin Berger channeled a few of the familiar guitar tones of Trey Anastasio during many of his improvised riffs directly leading into a refreshing jam on “2001.” More songs from Beautiful Lights were featured including “Birthday,” which was the strongest live performance from the new album as they worked in the cohesive improv they have established their name with. To wrap up the show, The McLovins gave a nice rendition of “The Weight” with each band member taking a turn on one of the verses.

    For a young band whose members are still in college, The McLovins can pull together strong performances while showing they are eager to explore new areas and make their next show better than the last. The band has been in its current lineup for roughly two years now – Jake Huffman (drums/vocals), Jason Ott (bass/vocals), Justin Berger (guitar/vocals), and Atticus Kelly (keys/guitar/vocals). With this amount of time together and the release of Beautiful Lights the band is making a new statement about their determination to make it to bigger places. The McLovins have been able to generate a lot of energy with larger festival audiences in the past and it is worth anticipating their next festival stop after the release of Beautiful Lights.

    Photos courtesy Greg Horowitz

  • The McLovins to Shine Beautiful Lights and Jams on Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre February 20

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    Hartford based jam/rock group The McLovins will be shining some beautiful lights on Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre February 20th as they host a CD release party for their latest album Beautiful Lights.

    Their fourth full-length studio album, Beautiful Lights, is also the first release written by the band’s current lineup. Produced by Ant Krizan (Spin Doctors), the album marks a turn in the band’s sound and approach to writing. Jake Huffman (drums/vocals) tells that the band, whose members are still in college, has taken a more structured and mature approach to crafting the album. That, however, does not take away from the live performances for which they are recognized and promises for a strong live performance of tracks from their new album after coming off an 11-stop tour in the Southeast last month.

    The McLovins have evolved immensely since they gained notoriety from a 2008 basement cover of Phish’s “You Enjoy Myself” posted on YouTube. They draw on eclectic influences to create incredible live performances with intricate improvisation and harmonies. This stage presence has rewarded the band with several festival appearances including Gathering of the Vibes, Mountain Jam and Bella Terra, among others.

    Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 day of and available here. Doors: 6pm; Show: 9pm.

    Check out the official video for the song “Birthday” off of Beautiful Lights here:

  • Hearing Aide: Hard Working Americans Self-Titled Debut Album

    Hard Working Americans, a new collective of musicians out of Nashville, TN, released their self-titled debut this week on Melvin Records/Thirty Tigers. Led by singer-songwriter Todd Snider, the band captures 11 songs written by notable country, blues, and folk-rock musicians and reinvents them as their own. Joining Snider is an all-star group of like-minded individuals representing a spectrum of styles: Dave Schools – bass (Widespread Panic), Neal Casal – guitar (The Chris Robinson Brotherhood), Chad Staehly – keys (Great American Taxi), and Duane Trucks – drums (Col. Bruce Hampton’s School of Music and of the Trucks family lineage).

    Hard Working AmericansHard Working Americans is a smart and well planned selection of songs for an album intended to capture the spirit of what the band’s name suggests. This album is reminiscent of Johnny Winter’s 2011 comeback release Roots where Johnny covers blues standards with an all-star lineup of guest musicians varying between each song.

    The performance on six of the tracks retain much of the feel and emotion of the original performances, though the sound is often more robust with added instrumentation. The other five tracks are significantly reworked making Hard Working Americans’ performance of them their own.

    “Blackland Farmer” is electrified from an acoustic country tune to one with a straight-ahead blues feel while retaining some of those country elements on slide guitar. A similar rework was done on “The Mountain Song” though retaining less of the original country version. “Stomp and Holler” is slowed down slightly from the rockabilly style of the original with a harmonica solo taking the lead rather than guitar. “Straight To Hell” is performed in a way that gives it much more emotion than the original recording, though both versions are equally appealing in their own ways. “Run A Mile” is much like the original; however a fun twist is added mid song with a brief hard hitting interlude before returning back to its starting pace.

    Hard Working Americans

    Hard Working Americans is an enjoyable, well produced album to listen to from start to finish. A notable feature of the album is the sequencing of the songs which works to tell a story of the blue collar American. As a debut cover album, Hard Working Americans has established the band as a capable new collective of musicians with a solid chemistry. Though the band does not have original material recorded yet it is anticipated that, given the talent of the band, it would be well received by music fans. Hard Working Americans is touring in support of their debut album and it will be interesting to see what what they bring to the stage aside from this album.

    Track Listing: (Original performer in parenthesis)

    1. Blackland Farmer (Elizabeth Cook)
    2. Another Train (Will Kimbrough)
    3. Down To The Well (Kevin Gordon & Lucinda Williams)
    4. The Mountain Song (Kieran Kane, Chad Jeffers, Sean Locke)
    5. Stomp and Holler (Hayes Carll)
    6. Straight To Hell (Drivin’ N’ Cryin’)
    7. Welfare Music (The Bottle Rockets)
    8. Mr. President (Have Pity On The Working Man) (Randy Newman)
    9. Run A Mile (BR5-49)
    10. I Don’t Have A Gun (Will Kimbrough & Tommy Womack)
    11. Wrecking Ball (David Rawlings & Gillian Welch)

    Key Tracks: Stomp and Holler, Straight To Hell, Run A Mile

    Find out more about Hard Working Americans and details on how to get the album on their website and on Facebook.